John Simpson anecdote

Once met a British oil exec in Lagos. The day before, he’d been to a disastrous party at a top minister’s house. The invitation said ‘Fancy dress compulsory’. He had no fancy dress, but was an enthusiastic scuba diver and by chance had his gear with him. He dressed up, took a cab to the house, rather surprising the driver, squelched up the drive in wet-suit, mask & fins, climbed the steps, and found himself in the midst of the party. All the men were wearing dinner jackets, since in Nigeria ‘fancy dress’ means ‘black tie’. He fled back down the drive and understandably had problems getting a cab to take him back to his hotel.